Word came Friday that Google’s Motorola Mobility will reduce its workforce by 10% – cuts that translate to a reduction of about 1,200 jobs.
Reuters reported this morning that the cuts come in response to the smartphone maker’s attempt to return to profitability.
The layoffs come on top of 4,000 jobs Google eliminated at Motorola Mobility in August as the Internet search giant seeks to make more smartphones and fewer simple handsets.
According to an internal document outlining the plan, the job cuts will befall workers in the United States, China and India.
Google bought the money-losing cellphone maker for $12.5 billion last year – its largest acquisition ever – aiming to use Motorola Mobility’s patents to fend off legal attacks on its Android mobile platform and expand beyond its software business.
“Our costs are too high, we’re operating in markets where we’re not competitive and we’re losing money,” a company source was quoted by the WSJ.
Representatives for Google and Motorola Mobility have not yet formally commented on the purported workforce cuts.
